A somewhat under-the-radar controversy erupted in late January at Vanderbilt University.  Apparently, the Muslim Students Association and the Army and Navy ROTC programs jointly sponsored a discussion about Muslims in the military, a forum entitled “Common Ground: Being Muslim in the Military.”

Vanderbilt junior Devin Saucier, who is also a member of the Youth for Western Civilization, and Vanderbilt Islamic chaplain Awadh Binhazim participated in a heated exchange that was videotaped and made the rounds of the internet.  (It received enough publicity that Vanderbilt issued a statement clarifying Binhazim’s relationship with the school and expressing its support for free speech.)

Through several iterations of the question, Saucier asked Binhazim if he supported the Islamic belief that homosexuality was a capital crime.  After a variety of qualifying answers, Binhazim eventually said

I don’t have a choice to accept or reject teachings.  I go with what Islam teaches.

Saucier acknowledged that he attended the event with the intent of asking the provoking question.

Given the recent sensitivities regarding Muslims in the US military, as well as President Obama’s recent proposals regarding homosexuals in the military (which occurred after this forum), Saucier succeeded in creating a controversy that may yet have some import.

The forum also included US Army Captain Darryl Cox, a convert from Christianity to Islam.  Saucier also had critical words for Cox, who reportedly

explain[ed] how much intolerance and discrimination he experiences as a Muslim in the military, all the while remaining silent on the subject of the Fort Hood Massacre. His talk left you with the same New York Times taste in your mouth that Major Hasan was motivated not by Islamic laws and the Islamic religion…but because somebody told one-too-many Muslim jokes.

Pictures of the event are published here.